Ultimate Firepower
Chapter 270 - 257: Deepen

Chapter 270: Chapter 257: Deepen

Many things, if you just think back for a moment, you can spot so many flaws that it’s infuriating.

Even if you had only looked once more, thought a bit more at that moment, the outcome could have been vastly different.

But the problem is that hindsight is useless, and being a Zhuge Liang after the event has no meaning. Many absurd things shouldn’t have happened, but they did anyway.

Thinking about it afterward, aside from cursing it as stupid, what else could be said?

Gao Yi acted in haste, with many thoughts immediately put into action without any leisure to consider the consequences, yet it was precisely this kind of impromptu behavior that the opponents least expected.

Gao Yi didn’t dare to breathe a sound while in the trunk.

Emily was held in Gao Yi’s arms. At first, she felt a bit stiff, but soon, she thought it felt quite good.

The car temporarily stopped, and from inside the trunk, the sound outside was clear. It was the gate guard greeting the Minister of Intelligence.

The car started moving again, until it stopped and then the door closed.

"I’m back, we’ll have the meeting soon, see you in the small conference room..."

The sound of the car locking followed, then the Minister of Intelligence rushed off with very clear footsteps.

Trying to avoid meeting too many people along the way, the Minister of Intelligence was clearly wary of the slap mark on his face.

Gao Yi had made a small wager, and now it seemed, this gamble had paid off, small tricks yielding great rewards.

It was quiet outside, but it was uncertain whether it was safe.

Climbing out of the trunk required some courage, but Gao Yi, without hesitation, began to feel for the trunk release.

A little-known fact: most car trunks can be opened from the inside, generally located just above the lock catch. There’s a small slot there. Some you push open, but first you forcefully press down to deform this plastic seal, and then you can pry it open with your fingernails.

So, trunks can’t serve as cages. Putting someone blindfolded and tied up in a trunk doesn’t work, knocking them out would suffice. But just throwing someone into a trunk assuming all is well is movie logic and purely misleading.

The trunk opened a slit, Gao Yi wanted to observe outside, but getting up would lift the trunk lid, so he simply pushed the trunk open and climbed out.

When Emily was moving to climb out from the trunk, Gao Yi stretched out his arms and scooped her out.

His left arm was still wounded. It hurt a bit to hold someone, but Gao Yi forgot his own pain. Fortunately, it wasn’t terribly painful and didn’t affect him.

Emily stood by the car, her breathing slightly rapid, her expression a bit regretful and her cheeks flushed, which actually appeared quite cute.

It must have been from the lack of airflow.

"What’s next?"

Emily asked quietly.

Gao Yi looked around, this was an underground parking lot, not very large, but spacious. Obviously, it was reserved for the high officials of the Military Intelligence Sixth Department.

There were four elevators, also situated at different locations.

The parking lot itself could be considered luxurious, looking around it could hold about fifty cars, there were luxurious-looking restrooms, and four elevators in different directions, the nearest one to Gao Yi and his companion showed it was stopped on the fourth floor.

Gao Yi spread his hands and pointed at the elevator stopped on the fourth floor.

At that moment, the phone rang, soundless.

Hiding in someone else’s car or evading a deadly pursuit, such a nonsensical thing was unlikely to happen to a real agent.

Emily answered the call, speaking in an extremely low voice, "It’s released."

Gao Yi made an inquiring gesture, Emily gestured him to wait, and then continued her quiet conversation.

The call was rather lengthy; she must have talked for several seconds. During this time, Gao Yi gestured to Emily and walked over to the elevator that was stopped.

Then Emily whispered, "We’ve already entered, we’re inside the Military Intelligence Sixth Department."

Gao Yi pondered whether to take the elevator.

Running at this time would indeed be difficult.

The most critical thing was timing. If someone in the mall checked the surveillance or asked someone who was always watching the monitors, they would know they had slipped back into the Minister of Intelligence’s car and returned with him.

So, the exposure could happen much later, the next second, or it might have already occurred.

Emily looked at Gao Yi again, then she whispered softly, "Okay, I understand, but we have no other choice now, we’ll do our best, I’ll be careful."

After that, Emily presumably ended the call, she whispered to Gao Yi, "Now, the whole world knows we’ve hijacked the Minister of Intelligence, nobody knows what to do about it or how it will end. She said we should play it by ear; she doesn’t know what to do either. The only requirement is that we make it back alive."

That ’she’ could only be Marina.

Gao Yi didn’t dwell on it, not only because there wasn’t time to think, but also because thinking was futile.

The course of life is often unpredictable, facts often ludicrous, Gao Yi didn’t have a cunning mind, he simply often chose between two options the one that was riskier but also more rewarding.

Either advance or retreat, at this moment Gao Yi would definitely choose to advance.

Fight or surrender, Gao Yi chose to fight.

Rudely said, it’s foolhardiness. Politely said, it’s seeking life through danger. Whatever the outcome, that decides how the deed is described.

Venturing forth with bold intentions if successful,

Recklessly rushing into doom when defeated.

Gao Yi pressed the elevator button.

Regardless, the Minister of Intelligence was definitely the one who took this elevator. It was an easy guess—the footsteps had quickly faded and the parking spot was closest to this elevator. It just took a watchful eye and a bit of brain to figure it out.

What was the Minister of Intelligence doing upstairs?

Was he meeting with the director of the Military Intelligence Sixth Department, scolding him perhaps, or discussing how to block the news and cover up his own kidnapping?

The Minister of Intelligence didn’t know the whole world was aware he had been kidnapped.

So, what would happen if they went upstairs now and entered the small meeting room?

Could it be that both the director and the Minister of Intelligence were inside having a meeting, and perhaps, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs might also be there?

Maybe they could even snag the Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Who knows, they’d see when they got there.

Once inside the elevator, Gao Yi casually pressed the button for the fourth floor.

The elevator wasn’t very large, as it was usually reserved for senior officials; it was clean and smelled nice.

The elevator reached the fourth floor and stopped with a ding, and a gentle, pleasant female voice announced, "Fourth floor."

The elevator doors opened, and Gao Yi stepped out.

Outside the elevator was an office, and at least three people were briskly walking down the hallway—a woman holding a laptop rapidly approaching Gao Yi and two men, one in front and one behind, nearly jogging out.

A quick glance showed office signs on the doors; about ten meters from Gao Yi was a sign that read "Third Meeting Room."

The woman saw Gao Yi and Emily, paused, bowed slightly, then clutching a notebook, she quickly continued on her way.

Gao Yi and Emily exchanged glances, then Emily shrugged.

They didn’t know what to say; it was quite a magical and bizarre atmosphere.

They had been slightly delayed in the parking lot but had only waited for about two or three minutes, and Gao Yi felt that wasn’t enough time for people from other offices to show up.

Emily wanted to head towards the meeting room, but Gao Yi held her back and subtly pointed towards the room where the woman with the notebook had entered.

Emily’s face was full of shock, and she was exceedingly astonished.

Clearly, the Minister of Intelligence didn’t want to meet too many people, so he had entered a small meeting room and was currently inside. If they entered now, they could regain control over him.

But Gao Yi didn’t see it that way.

What was the point of assaulting the Minister of Intelligence again now, subduing him and then waiting inside? What if there were already several people inside, what if some noise stirred?

The woman had headed to the tea room.

So why not take a seat, enjoy a cup of English tea and some snacks, and patiently wait?

Wait for the director of the Military Intelligence Sixth Department to arrive, and perhaps bring a few other important figures with him. Then, wouldn’t it be perfect to finish everything in one fell swoop?

Gao Yi, with Emily in tow, followed the woman they had just met into the nearby tea room.

This so-called tea room, where assistants or secretaries prepared beverages and snacks for leaders, wasn’t part of an office but a meeting room. It was a place both for making tea and for sitting down to enjoy the tea and snacks.

Gao Yi went in and, sure enough, the woman they had seen before was making a cup of coffee, with a cup of tea already placed beside her.

Gao Yi and Emily walked in, and Gao Yi found a small round table and sat down, taking a long sigh of relief.

Emily smiled politely at the woman, then also walked over to her.

Four cups.

The woman looked at Emily, then with a hint of confusion, she said, "Hello, may I ask who you are..."

"CIA."

Emily casually answered, and the woman’s face lit up with realization, then she instantly smiled, "What would you like to drink? Please help yourself."

Seeing Gao Yi and Emily didn’t look like officials, their presence in the tea room meant they were likely waiting for the leaders to have a meeting.

The woman continued making coffee.

Two cups of coffee, two cups of tea.

Emily picked a Coke from the beverage cabinet next to her, then looked at Gao Yi, who thought for a moment, slightly raised his hand, and made a chopping gesture downwards.

A hand chopping down, that meant to knock someone out; waving back and forth meant to cut the throat, to kill.

Now, they were deep within enemy territory, but Gao Yi felt relaxed, at ease, and even a bit comfortable.

So knocking someone out would suffice, no need for killing.